On a damp, perfectly Portland curl-up-with-a-book day, hundreds of readers crowded the historic Strowbridge Building – now The Susan Hammer Center – on Saturday to celebrate as Literary Arts added a new volume to its literary portfolio.

Literary Arts — sponsor of author talks, literary seminars, the Oregon Book Awards, the Portland Book Festival, and other writerly endeavors — marked the grand opening of its new bookstore and what Executive Director Andrew Proctor called the 40-year-old nonprofit’s new “global headquarters” in the Central Eastside District. Visitors shopped for themselves and others – starting conversations with strangers about what they were buying, toured the four-floor building, snacked on pastries and coffee, and generally imbibed the bookish vibe.

In opening remarks, Proctor thanked staff, volunteers, patrons, and especially the late Susan Hammer, whose $3 million bequest made it possible for Literary Arts to purchase the 120-year-old building at 716 S.E. Grand Ave. and move from leased space downtown. The 14,000-square-foot building, which more than triples the previous space, has been renamed in her honor. (Oregon ArtsWatch’s Brian Libby toured the building with Proctor earlier this fall. Read his account here.)

Proctor then introduced Oregon’s 10^th poet laureate, Anis Mojgani, who read a poem written for the occasion. Noting these “strange, hard times we’ve been in,” Mojgani added, “we do have power in our lives … it’s so important to find the strings that connect us.” Literary Arts, he said is one of those strings. “Everyone is welcome here. Please come every day and just be.”

Initially, the bookstore will be open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. A café serving coffee, tea, and beer is scheduled to open after the holidays, and hours may be adjusted. Urging readers to visit frequently, Proctor echoed Mojgani: “We’ll see you here, each and every day.”